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Management by Walking About (but take a camera)!
| Guest post by: John Heap |
Article Overview: The related article on 'Go To Gemba' points out that you have to see and hear things for yourself - never trust what you are told. Management by Walking About (MBWA) is clearly a simple way to see and hear things - but if you add a digital camera, you can collect evidence at the same time ... and you often see things through a camera lens that you don't see directly.
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Management by Walking About (but take a camera)!
In a related article, i explain theJapanesephilosophy called 'Go To Gemba' (where Gemba means 'truth'). This suggests that it isdangerousto rely onwhatyou are told - you should always go and look for yourself - to uncover thetruth. This is not (always) because people are trying to hide thetruth... just as often it is because people tell you what is supposed tohappen, rather than what actually happens.
MBWA - Management by Walking About - is a simple approach to 'Go To Gemba' ... and it works. if a manager or business owner walks his or her domain regularly - with eyes and ears truly open - he or she is likely to see and hear things that would otherwise go unnoticed. Of course you ask questions as you walk - two senses arealwaysbetter than 1.
One way to enhance this process is to walk with a camera and take pictures of 'waste' and 'clutter'. (The cheapness of digital cameras has made this a simple and convenient process.) It is much harder for people to defend themselves when faced with a photo ... and much easier to show improvement if you take 'before' and 'after' photos. Besides which when you look through a camera lens - or at a resulting photo -you often see the world differently. You are more likely to see 'the truth' (Gemba). When you simply walk past, even though you think you are looking, you often see what you expect to see ... or what you always see.
Depending on the relationship you have with staff, you can even open drawers and cupboards and take pictures. You can then either insist people tidy up ... or ask them what they need in orde to be more tidy - better filing systems, desk tidys, etc.
The aim is not to embarrass those who are untidy orcareless... simply tohelpthemmake things accessible when needed - quickly and efficiently.
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Article Tags: camera, efficiency, Gemba, productivity
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Related Forum Posts
Good Forum Pix
- Anyone have any tips to share on taking good pictures to add to your profile?
Seems like everyone has some great lighting... What kind of camera did you use?
Was it professionally done? or do you use a point and shoot digital camera?
Any suggestions on the type of lighting there should be above you? halogen? florescent?
Thanks - I need something new and am getting a new camera (digital point and shoot)
Re: Bloopers: What happens when I try to do instructional videos
- It definitely takes a lot of practice to get comfortable in front of a camera - especially when it's just you and the camera in the room!
Re: I Feel Really Great Today Because...
- Didn't have a video camera on me at the time! (I suppose someone out there has tried to video himself doing backflips - while holding the camera, I mean.)
Actually, I enjoy being on that particular campus so it was a happy-but-not-really-backflip-happy moment when I left...
No B.S. Time Management
- A great book I read on Time Management is No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy.
Re: Traffic! How do you get it?
- Hi,
Blog Walking is when you travel from blog to blog by following links left by comments or listed on their blogrolls. Some bloggers even will write reviews of those blogs they have found interesting, inspirational, or helpful.
Jeff
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